Sustainability in Natural Grassland in the Brazilian Pampa Biome: Livestock Production with CO 2 Absorption

Débora Regina Roberti (), Alecsander Mergen, Ricardo Acosta Gotuzzo, Gustavo Pujol Veeck, Tiago Bremm, Luciana Marin, Fernando Luiz Ferreira de Quadros and Rodrigo Josemar Seminoti Jacques
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Débora Regina Roberti: Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil
Alecsander Mergen: Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil
Ricardo Acosta Gotuzzo: Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande 96203-900, RS, Brazil
Gustavo Pujol Veeck: Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil
Tiago Bremm: Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil
Luciana Marin: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil
Fernando Luiz Ferreira de Quadros: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil
Rodrigo Josemar Seminoti Jacques: Departamento de Solos, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria 97105-900, RS, Brazil

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: The Brazilian Pampa biome has natural pastures that have been used for centuries for cattle grazing. This is considered a sustainable system because it combines the conservation of natural vegetation and high-quality meat production, protecting the biome from commercial agriculture’s advances. However, whether it is a source or a sink of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) has yet to be evaluated. Hence, this study aimed to quantify the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of the CO 2 of a natural pasture of the Pampa biome used for livestock production. The experimental area is located in a subtropical region of southern Brazil, where eddy covariance (EC) measurements were conducted from 2015 to 2021 in a rotational cattle grazing system. The seven months of the warm season (September to March) were characterized as CO 2 absorbers, while the five months of the cold season (April to August) were CO 2 emitters. Throughout the six years and with complete data, the ecosystem was an absorber of atmospheric CO 2 , with an average value of −207.6 g C m −2 year −1 . However, the significant interannual variability in NEE was observed, with cumulative values ranging from −82.0 to −385.3 g C m −2 year −1 . The results suggest the coupling of climatic conditions to pasture management can be the factor that modulated the NEE interannual variability. The cattle raising system on the natural pastures of the Pampa absorbs CO 2 , which is further evidence of its sustainability and need for conservation.

Keywords: eddy covariance; net CO 2 exchange; natural pasture; cattle production; sustainable food system (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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